The Festival Weekend Riga | Sweden's "Mark Twin" wins the Main Event, emerging victorious from a field of 153 to claim €9,850.

In September 2026, The Festival Weekend concluded its annual finale at the Olympic Voodoo Casino in Riga, Latvia. The four-day series included No-Limit Hold'em, PLO, and various mixed games, with the biggest highlight, the €555 Main Event Mystery Bounty, ultimately won by Swedish player "Mark Twin".

Mark Twin emerged victorious from a field of 153 players across the three Day 1 starting blocks, finishing as the chip leader on Day 1 and advancing to the final 19. He maintained his lead throughout, defeating Finnish player Mikko Heikkala in Heads-Up to claim a €9,850 prize, plus a mystery bonus earned during the tournament.

153 people participated, with a total prize pool of €72,675.

This Main Event uses the Mystery Bounty format.

Three Day 1 starting combination attracts:

153 participants

The total prize money amounted to:

72,675 euros

The prize pool for general rankings is as follows:

42,075 euros

in addition:

30,600 euros

They were assigned to the Mystery Bounty pool.

Main game core data

All prize money does not include the Mystery Bounty that players are randomly selected to win.

All 19 players made it into the prize pool on the final day.

Total:

19 contestants

They advanced to the second and final day of the competition.

Since everyone is already in the prize pool when the game restarts, each elimination not only advances the rankings but also means that the winning player can draw the Mystery Bounty.

The lowest ranking prize money is:

630 euros

The mystery bounty is somewhere between:

600 to 6,000 euros

between.

This also means that, in addition to the competition for the championship, every elimination on the final day could bring additional high returns.

Mark Twin entered the final day as the chip leader.

Swedish player "Mark Twin" was already in the lead on the scoreboard after Day 1.

With 19 players remaining, he did not become overly conservative despite taking the lead; instead, he maintained his own rhythm throughout the game.

As the number of players on the field dwindled, he remained in the leading group and eventually made it into the 9-man Final Table.

From starting as chip leader on final day to ultimately winning the championship, "Mark Twin" completed a championship journey where he led from beginning to end.

Six Latvian athletes were in the final table, but none of them made it to the podium.

The final nine-player table had a strong hostile influence.

The final table contains:

6 Latvian athletes

However, none of the landlords' team members made it into the top three.

Kristaps Renga, Ņikita Žarovs, Juris Liepiņš, and others left the field one after another, while the best performing Latvian athlete was:

Juris Bonders

He fought his way into the final four and ultimately achieved:

4th place

Takeaways:

3,700 euros

The home team player also officially withdrew from the championship competition after his elimination.

Dmitri Dudakov finished third, while Mikko Heikkala advanced to the singles final.

The remaining three people are from:

• Sweden

• Finland

• Estonia

Estonian athlete Dmitri Dudakov ultimately failed to make it to the Heads-Up, with:

3rd place

Obtained:

4,740 euros

The championship match thus became a Nordic showdown:

"Mark Twin" vs. Mikko Heikkala

Finnish player Heikkala ultimately failed to overtake the chip leader of the final day, finishing as runner-up and:

6,555 euros

"Mark Twin" then completed the final step, officially winning the Main Event championship.

Main Event Final Table Results

The above bonuses do not include Mystery Bounty income, therefore "Mark Twin's" actual total site income is higher than 9,850 euros.

Scotty Nguyen appeared in Riga but failed to advance to Day 2 of the Main Event.

The most well-known participant at this year's Festival Weekend is the WSOP Main Event champion and five-time WSOP bracelet winner:

Scotty Nguyen

This Poker Hall of Fame champion has appeared at the poker tables multiple times in Riga and has also participated in the Main Event.

However, Nguyen ultimately failed to secure a spot on the final day.

Poker commentator:

Andreas “Wiseguy” Höglund

They also competed in the main event, but failed to advance.

Although the two key figures left early, their participation still added considerable attention to this relatively small weekend series.

Eduards Rakuss plays in his hometown, Dealer's Choice PLO takes second place

Latvian athlete Eduards Rakuss also returned to his hometown to compete.

He is here：

€350 Dealers Choice All PLO

They advanced all the way to the last two.

Kaspars Renga ultimately won the championship, and his prize was:

1,475 euros

Rakuss finished as runner-up.

This match is just one of many non-traditional Hold'em events in the series.

PLO and hybrid games are key features of the series.

The Festival Weekend in Riga did not concentrate all of its schedule in NLH.

The following were also scheduled during the four-day period:

• PLO4/PLO5 Bomb Pot

• PLO4/PLO5 PKO

• OmahaJack

• Dealers Choice All PLO

• 7-2 Estonia Special

• NLH Progressive Bounty

• NLH Big Bounty

This format allows players who enjoy four-card poker and its unique rules to find plenty of tournament options in short series.

7-2 Estonia Special employs two special rules.

One of the most distinctive projects is:

€200 NLH 7-2 Estonia Special

This competition is based on the common 7-2 bounty play, but incorporates two Estonian-specific rules.

The first item is:

If the player uses:

7-2 different flowers

Winning a pot allows you to claim a share from each of the remaining players in the game:

1 blind man

Instead of just taking it from your own tablemate or opponent.

The second item is called:

INES Rule

If a player is eliminated after the late registration deadline but before the prize bubble bursts, they can choose to pay another buy-in.

This is the only extra chance to participate in the entire event, and upon re-entering, you will receive:

Two starting scoreboards

This unique design also makes this project significantly different from typical NLH events.

List of major champions at the Riga Grand Prix

Olympic Voodoo Casino's next stop: another major series on September 19th.

Olympic Voodoo Casino won't be taking a long break after the Festival Weekend ends.

The venue will next be:

September 19 to 27

hold:

OlyBet Showdown Riga

The entire series will include more than:

25 matches

Among the most important ones:

€1,100 Main Event

Will be:

September 23

Let's begin.

From Mark Twin taking over The Festival Weekend Main Event to OlyBet Showdown returning a week later, Riga will continue to be a major venue for live poker in the Baltic region in late September.

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